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Lucas fulfills dream, joins Houston Rocket
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-31 08:52
HOUSTON - John Lucas III started playing in the NBA when he was 4, shagging
rebounds as a ball boy for his father and the rest of the Houston Rockets.
Now, the 23-year-old rookie from Oklahoma State is officially an NBA
player �� given that chance by the same team that drafted his dad in 1976.
The injury-depleted Rockets signed Lucas III on Thursday. He'll wear his
father's old No. 15 when Houston plays Golden State at the Toyota Center on
Saturday night.
"I always felt like I belonged here," Lucas said Friday. "I feel at home. I
don't feel like a newcomer. This is what my father and I have been training
for."
The elder Lucas, now 52, played 14 NBA seasons, with the Rockets, Golden
State, Washington, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Seattle. He later coached the
Spurs, Philadelphia and Cleveland, but his heart and home always stayed in
Houston, where he opened a substance-abuse center for professional athletes.
"That is really, really special that the team that's giving him a chance is
my team," said Lucas, Jr.
Lucas III starred at Bellaire High School in Houston, scoring more than 3,300
points. The 6-foot point guard played two seasons at Baylor, then transferred to
Oklahoma State, where he finished his career among the top 5 in Big 12 history
in points (1,877), 3-pointers (281) and assists (535).
Undrafted in the summer, Lucas III signed a free-agent contract with
Minnesota, but was cut in the preseason. He was playing for Tulsa of the NBA's
developmental league when the Rockets contacted him.
"I've always wanted to play for the Houston Rockets, ever since I was a
little bitty boy," Lucas III said. "Finally, my dream came true."
Lucas III was at his father's side at all of his NBA stops and the elder
Lucas thinks those experiences will help his son adjust to NBA life without ever
being starstruck.
"He's grown up with it. He's been to All-Star games and in the locker room,
so John won't be in awe of those guys," Lucas, Jr. said.
But as his father warned, the son's NBA career can end as quickly as it
starts if he fails to perform.
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